Here are few tips to make a comprehensive and successful investment plan that can lead you towards a profitable investment future in share market. Get more stock trading tips from India Infoline.

Many investors think the stock market is like a treasure box. Once you open it, it would overflow with wealth and goodness. However, that’s not the case. The stock market does have the potential to make you rich but only if you invest smartly. You need to plan your investments in such a way that your losses are lesser than the profits in the long run.

For this, you need to have an investment strategy in place. If you are a new investor investing in the stock market for the first time, you need to consider some points. These would help you make a comprehensive and successful investment plan. Implementing and following these tips can lead you towards a profitable investment future. So here are 5 tips for your consideration:

1. Spend time in preparation before you start

Investing in thestock market isn’t something you start immediately once you hear about it. Take time to understand and prepare yourself for the stock market. Know the various risks associated and your reasons for investing. Having clarity about your reasons helps you get focused results faster.

2. Know your investment options

As a new investor, you have an option to invest in different shares individually or invest in mutual funds and let the fund manager do the work for you. Ensure that you know the various options that stock market has to offer. Consider each along with its pros and cons. Weigh it with the goal and reason of investing and see if it is the most profitable option for you. Investment in stocks, gold, real estate and other avenues are some of the many options that you must consider. Once you choose, ensure you stick to it till you achieve your goals.

3. Have a roadmap and diversify investments

In the stock market, just investment is not enough. You need to have a solid financial plan or roadmap to back your investments. Consider your financial situation, your cash flow and risk tolerance before investing and locking away your funds. This would ensure that you are able to manage comfortably without having to be dependent on anyone even in the event of a loss. Planning also helps you make a budget and promote financial discipline in your life.

4. Have a contingency plan in place

Since investment in thestock market may not be completely safe, it is always advised to have a contingency plan in place. This is often referred to as an emergency fund. It is something that you keep contributing to, along with your investment. The role of this fund is to take care of you in case an emergency arises. You don’t have to withdraw from your investment in that case but instead can meet your urgent need with these funds. Ideally, having a sum that could last you for six months without any other income is considered as a basic level of an emergency fund.

5. Avail professional help, if necessary

You are a first-time investor and therefore, it is quite possible that you would not be well aware of the nuances of the market. At such times, you can take help from a professional investment advisor. An investment advisor or financial planner would help you identify and analyze your goals and work towards it. They would also provide you with a roadmap for your investments and also factor in your emergency fund for your financial security. You can ride on their market knowledge and expertise till you are confident of taking care of your investments on your own. They might charge a nominal fee for this service but the upside or learnings you get, besides the profits, are priceless.

As a new investor, you don’t need to get afraid when investing in the stock market. Spend time in knowing why you want to invest and what is it that you want to accomplish out of it. This would help make half of your task easier. Then check out the various options, choose the ones that suit you and plan your investment strategy for a happy future. If you still have doubts, don’t shy away from taking professional help. It would only do well for you and your investments. So, stop delaying and start investing today.

​Investors have two major ways to find new investments that are the top-down approach and the bottom-up approach.

From where I stand, both methods have their merit. In fact, the goal of each approach should be the same thing, that is, to find good investments in the vast world of stocks. But, at the same time, these two approaches are quite different.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the key differences between these two strategies.

The top-down approach

Investors who use the top-down approach tend to take a broad view before focusing on a particular sector to find suitable investments. For instance, recent reports suggest that interest rates might increase soon. With that framework, top-down investors may look at industries that can benefit from interest rate hikes, as such the financial industry.

The focus then shifts towards companies that operate within the financial industry. This method allows investors to concentrate on growing industries, or companies that are primed to benefit from any macroeconomic changes.

In my opinion, the key advantage of the top-down approach is that investors can focus their energy and time on specific industries. That would be mean less time is wasted casting their net too widely.

On the flipside, investors who use this approach limit may themselves to certain industries, and may miss out on other investment opportunities. As a result, there may be investment gems that are missed out.

The bottom-up approach

In contrast, the bottom-up approach involves making investment decisions based on the individual attributes of a company. Here, investors will tend to overlook the broader economy and focus on companies that they think have strong fundamental characteristics.

To sieve out good companies, they avoid industry-specific screening but will be open to any company that meets their investment criteria.

The key advantage of this method is that investors can find good investments, regardless of the industry that it operates in.

However, as you might have guessed, the bottom-up approach can sometimes be taxing and time-consuming as investors might have sieve through a large number of companies to find the few that are worth investing in.

A Foolish takeaway

Whether it is top-down or bottom-up, both methods have its pros and cons. As investors, we might want to consider employing the stock screening approach that suits our investment style. After all, the investor’s goal is to find the investments that can earn good returns in the stock market.